QT 25/04/2025 Fri. Ephesians 5:3–14. Abstain. Absent. 不要参与。不要去想它。

QT 25/04/2025 Fri. Ephesians 5:3–14. Abstain. Absent.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/eph5:3–14

Paul exhorts readers to avoid immorality. This starts with not thinking about it nor talking about it.

Ephesians 5:3–4 [3] But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. [4] Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. (ESV)

Sexual immorality is alien to the Christian lifestyle taught by the New Testament. The sacrificial love promoted in Ephesians 5:2, “walk in love” is diametrically opposed to the topic taught here—sexual immorality. While sacrificial love pointed to Christ’s love which was other-centred, self-sacrificial and considered a fragrant offering to God, sexual immorality is completely different.

Sexual immorality is self-indulgent, self-centred, “deeds of darkness” and “what is done in secret”. What is worse, many of these immoral acts are no longer done in secret but done publicly, promoted openly and legitimised by culture or law in many segments of the world.

“Sexual immorality” is any kind of illegitimate sexual intercourse, especially relating to the snare of adultery and prostitution.

“Impurity” (v. 3) points to mixing something into the pure product such that it is contaminated. The pure product is God created sex within the exclusive one-man one-woman marital relationship throughout their lifetime.

“Covetousness” (v. 3) is considered idolatry (“covetous (that is, an idolater), v. 5” because that person attempts to be god, enacted himself/herself god, or attempted to be the final arbiter who dictates what is right and wrong in the universe. He has made himself god when he is not.

Paul went further—readers were not even to talk about it.  All these forms of sexual immorality, impurity and covetousness are so serious and damaging that they are to not think about them, nor mention them in their conversations. This is not to say that these words no longer exists in their vocabulary. It is just that thinking and talking about sexual sins inadvertently creates an awareness of its existence. It increases familiarity and (knowing the human hearts) the seemingly innocent chat quickly spirals down to tolerance and promotion of these sinful behaviour. A prelude to real temptation.

APPLICATION: As “light in the LORD” (5:8), “children of light” (5:8) and carriers of what is “good and right and true” (5:9), let us ”arise” and leave this “dead” behaviour (5:14) and shine the light Christ wherever required (5:14).

QT 25/04/2025 星期五. 以弗所书5:3–14 不要参与。不要去想它。
阅读 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=eph5%3A3-14&version=CNVS

保罗劝诫读者要避免不道德的行为。首先要做到不去想它，也不谈论它。

以弗所书 5:3-4 [3]  至于淫乱和任何污秽或贪心的事，在你们中间连提都不可提，才合圣徒的体统。[4] 更不要讲淫秽和愚妄的话，或下流的笑话，这些都与你们不相称；却要说感谢的话。

不道德的性行为与《新约圣经》所教导的基督徒生活方式格格不入。之前，在以弗所书 5：2 中提倡的牺牲之爱 “凭着爱心行事”与这里教导的主题--不道德的性行为--截然相反。牺牲之爱指向基督的爱，这种爱以他人为中心，自我牺牲，被视为献给上帝的馨香之物，而不道德的性行为则完全不同。

不道德的性行为是自我放纵、以自我为中心、“暗昧无益的事”和 “暗中所作的事”。更糟糕的是，在世界上的许多地方，许多不道德行为不再是秘密进行的，而是公开进行的，公开宣扬的，并被文化或法律合法化。

“淫乱”是指任何形式的不正当性行为，尤其是与通奸和卖淫有关的。

“污秽"（第 3 节）指的是在纯洁的产品中掺入一些东西，使其受到污染。纯洁的产品是上帝创造的性，是在一男一女终生专一的婚姻关系中。

“贪婪”（第 3 节）被视为偶像崇拜（“贪心就是拜偶像”，第 5 节），因为这个人试图成为神，把自己当作神，或试图成为最终的仲裁者，决定宇宙中的是非对错。他把自己当作神，其实他不是神。

保罗说得更远--读者甚至不得谈论此事。 所有这些形式的性不道德、不洁和贪婪都是如此严重和有害，以至于他们不可去想它们，也不能在谈话中提及它们。这并不是说他们的字典里不再有这些词。只是，思考和谈论性犯罪会在不经意间让人意识到它的存在，增加对它的熟悉度，而了解人心的人都知道，看似天真的聊天很快就会变成对这些犯罪行为的容忍和宣扬。也是受试探的前奏。

应用：作为 “在主里却是光明的”（5:8）、“光明的儿女”（5:8）和 “良善、公义、诚实”的传播者（5:9），让我们 “起来吧”，离开这种 “死人”的行为（5:14），在任何需要的地方照亮基督的光（5:14）。